$ 11. Of bis Size, Strength, and Dominion. Ver. In bulk and strength ’mong animals 33 His equal is not found;

Though he, of stature low, but crawls,

· And creeps along the ground.
Yet he the proudest warrior beast

Insultingly disdains;
And, fearless made, o'er all the rest

He like a monarch reigns.
The strongest creatures on the earth

Do tremble at his fight;
He them in pieces tears with mirth,

And with his sportive might.
34 With scorn he fees each lofty thing,

The stouteft to deride;
Yea, bears his Maker's flamp, as King

O'er all the fons of pride.

SONG XCIX.

Job's bumble Confeffion and Petition : A penitential

prayer. Job xlii. 1,-4.
LORD, to thy awful words intent,

I see they brightly shine,
With marks of pow'r omnipotent,

And majesty divine.
Convinc'd by thy enlightning speech,

I rashly have, I own,
By climbing heights above my reach,

Audacious folly shown;
Vent'ring, by reason reasonless,

That short unequal line,
To found the huge immense abyss,

Of providence divine.
2 That thou, Lord, canst do every thing

I now more clearly fee;
None can from thee hide their design,
Nor hinder thy decree.

Ver. In things too wonderful for me,
3

And utterly unknown,
I speak but unadvisedly,

And foolishly, I own.
I'm that presumptuous mortal bold,

That darken'd counful fo,
By words unwise, as I was told,

My pride to overthrow.
Thy deep designs in trying me

My blind eyes could not spy ;
Whence I presum'd to quarrel thee,

So great a. fool was I.
4 O let thine anger be appeas'd!

Hear my repentant speech;
Through him in whom thou art well plcasid,

Thy favour I beseech.
Of knowledge I will boast no more,

Nur haughtily behave,
But filently thy name adore

Thy information crave.
Lord, scatter clouds that mar my sight,

Thy truth divine display ;
Dispel remaining shades of night,

And spread my mind with day.

SONG C.

Job's deep Humiliation, wbich made way to bis re

markable Exaltation : Or, sbe bappy Issue of Aplica tion sanctified, accompanied with divine Infiruction.

Jub xli. 5,6.
5 O Lord, I with the outward car

Have heard of thee before ;
I knowledge had that wanted fear,

Nur led me to adore :
But now mine eyes more clearly fee,

In fair Inımanuel's face,
Thy wisdom, pow'r, and majesty,

Thy glorious truth and grace.

Ver. My present views of thee fo far

Exceed the former fort,
As demonstration ocular,

Exceeds a bare report.
Hence, conscious-stings, like arrows smart,

Deep in my bofom stick;
And self-displeasure strikes my heart,

And wounds me to the quick. 6 For now myself I lotle and hate;

With shame my face I vail;
And all my errors paft, of late,

In dust and ashes wail.
1

grew impatient of the rod,

Nor can I answer why
I clear'd myself, and cenfur'd God,

O what a beast was I!
Unwise I curs'd the very day

In which thou gav'st me birth ;
And challeng'd rash thy sov'reign sway,

And government on earth.
Lo! then, my brutish ignorance,

I through thy grace repent;
My passion, pride, and arrogance,

With tears. I now resent.
How base and blinded have I been,

That fet myself so high!
"But having now thy glory seen,

I low before thee ly.
At mercy's feet I'll hopeful stay :

For never was the case,
That one was lost, who prostrate lay

Before the throne of grace.

Mm3

PAR T. III.

A NEW VERSION OF THE

SONG of SOLOMON.

4

PRE FACE. After I had written a Paraphrafe on the Song of Solomon, which has

been published fourteen years ago *, I had no design of printing any thing else upon this book ; but when the motion was made of turning all the Scripture Songs into common metre, for the same use with the Psalms of David, I was also urged to make a lort Version likewise of this song, as near as possible to the text t. This talk I under. took, not without some reluctance, knowing how much the spiritual matter of this Book is represented by such homely metaphors as would be very hard to express barely, in such a manner as to be fenced against the abuse of carnal minds : on this account, though I have now studied as little of a paraphrase, or explication, as I could ; yet, in several places, where I thought the meaning might be most ready to be misinterpreted, or not so obvious, I have formed the Version with such short interwoven glosses upon some of the texts, as may tend to enlighten the metaphor a little, and make the main intent thereof appear, in a way that I apprehended to be lealt liable

to abuse. I have seen some Versions of this Book in common metre, that could

very little contribute to my assistance in this, unless it was to make me see what might be avoided or amended, according to my view. Only Mr. Mason's Version was more acceptable to me, than any other I have seen, and therefore I have, in several verses here and there taken what help it, together with his and my own paraphrase, could afford me, in a suitableness to my taste, or the form into which I chose to put it. So that after consulting the labours, in versifying this Book of the Song, you have here the plainch version I could

conceive within so norrow and contracted bounds. As to what may be further necesiary, in a prefatory way, I refer

the reader to the Preface which is prefixed to the Paraphrase on this Book 1: the main difference between the present and the for• The first edition of the parap'ırale was published, Anno 1733.

+ The Song of Solomon, being an intire book of Scripture, this Short Version of it was at first published by itself, (as formerly observed, p. 424.) as was also that upon the book of Lamentations, before the rest of the Scripture Songs, which were afterwards published together. Along with the first edition of this Version, the Author allowed his Parapiirase on this book of the Song to be re-printed, that whosoever inclined for a more full explication thereof, than this Short Version could give, might, if they pleased, turn over to the Paraphrase. See it printed above, p. 317,-422.

See this Preface printed above, p. 310,—316.

mer Editions *, is in the fourth and seventh chapters, which were before in long metre, but now are turned to the same common metre with the rest, because I have been told, that this latter kind was 'more

acceptable to some than the other. That the church and people of God may be edified by these works, is

the earnest prayer of their servant, and yours in Christ, Dunfermline, ?

RALPH ERSKINE 1752.

I

CHAP. I.
The Church's Love unto Christ, and bis Esteem for ber;
with ibeir mutual Congratulations of cacb orber.

[The Title.]
Ver. THIS Song of Solomon the wise

As penman fam'd belongs ;
And, justly for its sacred rile,
Is nam'd, the Song of Songs.

[The Churcb's Words. ]
2 With kisses of thy mouth divine,

O let me favour'd be :
For better than the richest wine

Thy love appears to me.
3 Thy name like ointment sweet pour'd out

Doth all perfumes excell ;
Hence virgin-souls, the sacred rout

Of saints, do love thee well.
4 O draw me with thy loving cord;

We will run after thee :
Lo! to his chambers deck'd, my Lord,

The King hath handed me.
In thee we'll joy; this love of thine

We'll mind, with more delight
Than all the blessings of the vine :

Thou’rt lov'd by the upright.
5 O Salem's race, Im black o’ergrown,

As tents of Kedar were ;
But comely too by grace I own,

As Soi'mon's curtains fair.